Monday, September 26, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Blessed are those who are persecuted
I really wish that Jesus had stopped with peace making and skipped the next part. The whole "persecuted" thing would be nice to skip. I would just as soon avoid the pain and suffering part of discipleship. But Jesus did not skip the suffering. Jesus did not promise that you and I would not have suffering. In fact, suffering is the very thing that helps put into perspective the other beatitudes.
Consider the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:3-4, "We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope."
In II Timothy 2:12 Paul says, "If we endure, we will reign with Him."
These verses are not isolated, nor is the concept incongruent with common sense. Remember the story about the caterpillar that made a cocoon - a child decided to help the emerging butterfly avoid the struggle of getting out of the cocoon and cut it open. The butterfly came out of the cocoon but without enough strength to fly. Struggling makes us stronger. In my humanness, I wish that were not true, but because it is true, I have to declare that I prefer the consequences of adversity far better than the consequences of prosperity.
This is my prayer, "Lord, I want to be spiritually strong enough to do whatever You want me to do, regardless of the consequences." I am willing to suffer for His sake.
Even as I write that, I realize that I have no real idea of what I am saying. I haven't suffered. I am not suffering now. I only have a faint idea of what suffering really is. The Apostle Paul new what he was talking about. For now, most of us will have to take his word for it.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Be-attitude #7
Peacemaking - wouldn't it be nice to live in a world of peace makers? Well, we don't. We live in a world of feuders. And it is not a 21st century thing. From Cain and Abel on, civilizations rise and fall because of fighting. Most people on the planet want peace. "Dude, seriously, I just saw a VW van plastered with peace signs run over a stray cat." Ok, not funny. But the point is, we want everyone to get along. Stop the fighting already. It is not accomplishing anything.
The peace that Jesus is talking about in Matthew 5 is not just getting along. It is internal peace. The kind that you can have only when you are not holding any grudges or bitterness. And the desire to see peace in every relationship and in every situation becomes a constant passion. Blessed are those who bring peace.
Somebody reading this will wish that I stopped right here, but I have to take it another step, maybe a leap for some.
Peace can only happen in my relationships if it first happens between me and God. There is a war, a spiritual war, that rages for the souls of mankind. The root cause of this war is personal sin. A holy God must punish those who fail His standard and we all fall far short of that. This same God also loves us and has provided an a substitute to stand in our place, to take the punishment we deserve. When we accept this generous offer, there is peace, ultimate peace.
The war is over, live like it!
The peace that Jesus is talking about in Matthew 5 is not just getting along. It is internal peace. The kind that you can have only when you are not holding any grudges or bitterness. And the desire to see peace in every relationship and in every situation becomes a constant passion. Blessed are those who bring peace.
Somebody reading this will wish that I stopped right here, but I have to take it another step, maybe a leap for some.
Peace can only happen in my relationships if it first happens between me and God. There is a war, a spiritual war, that rages for the souls of mankind. The root cause of this war is personal sin. A holy God must punish those who fail His standard and we all fall far short of that. This same God also loves us and has provided an a substitute to stand in our place, to take the punishment we deserve. When we accept this generous offer, there is peace, ultimate peace.
The war is over, live like it!
#6 - pure of heart
Pure is a difficult concept in our world. We can get fresh, organic, or shiny new, but still contaminated. My orange juice says it is pure. The chocolate bar says "pure" right on the package. But I saw the 20/20 special when they stick that candy bar under the microscope they find all sorts of "contaminants" in there. Gross! I'm gonna lose my appetite just thinking about it.
Let's move to a more palatable example, eyeglasses. I don't wear my glasses very often and when I do I clean them every time. It drives me nuts to have smears and spots. But I have seen people who wear glasses every waking moment and they are so dirty, I can't imagine that they can see anything! The contaminants on the lens hinder clear vision.
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.
When contaminants are allowed into my life, my view of God gets cloudy. When my motives are selfish, I am not like Jesus. When my music, movie, tv, book selection is less then sanctified, I invite contaminants. When I lose my temper, fail to forgive, hold a grudge, or speak a harsh word, my view of God is not clear.
If my view of God is clear, then my heart will be more pure. As my heart becomes more pure, my view of God is clearer. From my clearer view of God, I desire to clean up my heart even a little more. And that my friends is the process, call it sanctification if you want, whereby I become all that God wants me to be.
p.s. not even sure that "whereby" is properly used in that last sentence, but it sounded cool.
Let's move to a more palatable example, eyeglasses. I don't wear my glasses very often and when I do I clean them every time. It drives me nuts to have smears and spots. But I have seen people who wear glasses every waking moment and they are so dirty, I can't imagine that they can see anything! The contaminants on the lens hinder clear vision.
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.
When contaminants are allowed into my life, my view of God gets cloudy. When my motives are selfish, I am not like Jesus. When my music, movie, tv, book selection is less then sanctified, I invite contaminants. When I lose my temper, fail to forgive, hold a grudge, or speak a harsh word, my view of God is not clear.
If my view of God is clear, then my heart will be more pure. As my heart becomes more pure, my view of God is clearer. From my clearer view of God, I desire to clean up my heart even a little more. And that my friends is the process, call it sanctification if you want, whereby I become all that God wants me to be.
p.s. not even sure that "whereby" is properly used in that last sentence, but it sounded cool.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Be-additude #5 - mercy
The Greek word for mercy is eleos and the meaning is really a pretty easy thing to understand. Mercy is the altruistic attitude of a Christian, empathizing with the unbeliever, doing everything possible to help them understand God's grace. Ok, maybe I just muddied up an easy to understand word. How about this - mercy is loving people into heaven.
Why do missionaries give up the "comforts of home" to go to an unknown place, maybe risking everything? Because their are people who need to hear that Jesus loves them. That is mercy.
Why do pastors work ridiculously long hours, often sacrificing time with their own family to study, preach, visit, counsel, comfort, challenge, plan, and more? Because their are people who need to hear that Jesus loves them. That is mercy.
Will you risk a little? Are you willing to work kinda hard? Do you know anyone who needs to hear that Jesus loves them? Show mercy. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Why do missionaries give up the "comforts of home" to go to an unknown place, maybe risking everything? Because their are people who need to hear that Jesus loves them. That is mercy.
Why do pastors work ridiculously long hours, often sacrificing time with their own family to study, preach, visit, counsel, comfort, challenge, plan, and more? Because their are people who need to hear that Jesus loves them. That is mercy.
Will you risk a little? Are you willing to work kinda hard? Do you know anyone who needs to hear that Jesus loves them? Show mercy. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Monday, March 22, 2010
hunger and thirst for righteousness
Be-attitude #4 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
When I think of hunger, I think of the moment just before I decide that I want to go to the Pizza Ranch buffet. Because in that moment, I am hungry. Hungry enough to eat a dozen slices of pizza, a huge piece of fried chicken, salad, one more piece of pizza, and then desert pizza with ice cream on top. And so I do. And then I am not hungry any more, in fact I am beyond uncomfortable and close to sick.
This is not the kind of hunger that Jesus is talking about. He is trying to create a picture of constantly wanting more. Unsatisfiable hunger. Have you ever twirled a little kid around in your arms? What do they say? "Do it again!" So you do it again and they say, "do it again!" So you do it again and they say, "do it again!" So do you get the point or do I have to do it again?
The Greek "hoi" means to be satisfied yet want more. What Jesus is teaching us is to desire His righteousness, experience it, and want more of it. The closer I am to Him, the closer it makes me want to be. I am satisfied, but I want more.
And I want a piece of desert pizza.
When I think of hunger, I think of the moment just before I decide that I want to go to the Pizza Ranch buffet. Because in that moment, I am hungry. Hungry enough to eat a dozen slices of pizza, a huge piece of fried chicken, salad, one more piece of pizza, and then desert pizza with ice cream on top. And so I do. And then I am not hungry any more, in fact I am beyond uncomfortable and close to sick.
This is not the kind of hunger that Jesus is talking about. He is trying to create a picture of constantly wanting more. Unsatisfiable hunger. Have you ever twirled a little kid around in your arms? What do they say? "Do it again!" So you do it again and they say, "do it again!" So you do it again and they say, "do it again!" So do you get the point or do I have to do it again?
The Greek "hoi" means to be satisfied yet want more. What Jesus is teaching us is to desire His righteousness, experience it, and want more of it. The closer I am to Him, the closer it makes me want to be. I am satisfied, but I want more.
And I want a piece of desert pizza.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Be-attitude #3
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Meek is not the same as weak. Jesus gives the best example of "power under control" when He interacted with the Jewish religious leaders. He very strongly confronted their pompous religiosity but without sinning. So even in conflict, Jesus loved the individual with appropriate words and actions. Proverbs teaches that "a gentle word turns away wrath."
This third beatitude is another striking example of the backwards and upside down nature of God's economy compared to man's. It would seem logical that the bold and ferocious would inherit the earth. But God says that the inheritance belongs to the mild mannered. Speaking of mild mannered, how about Superman. There is a picture of power under control. I'm not sure I am ready to make a theological parallel here, not just yet.
Next step - hunger. Is it time for lunch?
This third beatitude is another striking example of the backwards and upside down nature of God's economy compared to man's. It would seem logical that the bold and ferocious would inherit the earth. But God says that the inheritance belongs to the mild mannered. Speaking of mild mannered, how about Superman. There is a picture of power under control. I'm not sure I am ready to make a theological parallel here, not just yet.
Next step - hunger. Is it time for lunch?
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